Pedestrian rage leads to stabbing in Imperial Beach

Driver came too close, crosswalker with kids punched the car

A road-rage incident involving a pedestrian in front of the Imperial Beach farmers’ market on Friday, March 14, resulted in one man in the hospital with stab wounds, another man in custody, and a large pool of blood in the street.

Lt. Dave Schaller of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said that deputy Claudia Valencia responded at 3:10 p.m. to a call about two males fighting in the street. The victim, who was stabbed several times, was taken to a hospital and reported to be recovering after surgery on Friday evening. The sheriff's department did not release the names of the people involved, both of whom were adults.

Witnesses and workers from the farmers’ market said that the pedestrian was walking with two children in the crosswalk at the corner of Seacoast Drive and Evergreen Avenue when the pedestrian became angry at the driver of a car.

Daryl Martino, who works at the flower stand, said the driver "drove close to a guy with kids in the crosswalk, and they exchanged words." Martino said the pedestrian punched the car, appearing to try to punch the driver through the window. The driver got out of his car and "they exchanged punches," Martino said, before the pedestrian was stabbed.

Lucia Landman, who works at an empanada stand at the market, said she saw "the guy with his family" talking to "the guy in the car" and that the pedestrian "punched the car." She said the driver got out and they started to fight in the street when Deputy Valencia arrived.